However, he has to lose some essential pieces of himself (theater class, Unicorn Trampocalypse nail polish) along the way, which is increasingly difficult to manage. Randy discovers he likes some of the more athletic events that he joins for Hudson, and it turns out he had really good taste in crushing on the camp hottie all these years. I thought it would be a simple “don’t change yourself for someone, you’ll realize they aren’t worth it!” story, so I was pleasantly surprised when Rosen took a more nuanced approach. The plot of this book hinges on an objectively terrible idea: Randy remakes himself into butch gay guy Del in order to woo “masc4masc” hunk Hudson. We should all be so lucky as to attend Camp Outland, where participants and counselors can thrive in a safe and supportive environment. And is it really love anyway, if Hudson doesn’t know who he truly is?Ĭamp is a delightful and ridiculous book about a queer summer camp where kids can live their best and horniest lives. Even if it means giving up show tunes, nail polish, and his unicorn bedsheets, he’s determined to get Hudson to fall for him.īut as he and Hudson grow closer, Randy has to ask himself how much is he willing to change for love.

Randy has reinvented himself as ‘Del’ – buff, masculine, and on the market.

This year, though, it’s going to be different. And it’s where he fell for Hudson Aaronson-Lim – who’s only into straight-acting guys and barely knows not-at-all-straight-acting Randy even exists. It’s where he takes to the stage in the big musical. Sixteen-year-old Randy Kapplehoff loves spending the summer at Camp Outland, a camp for queer teens. From the author of the acclaimed Jack of Hearts (and other parts) comes a sweet and sharp screwball comedy that critiques the culture of toxic masculinity within the queer community.

Jack of Hearts by Lev A.C. Rosen